Disclaimer: Disclaimed for Gakuen Alice. I don't own The Touhou Project; It belongs to it's rightful owners and caretakers. xP If that makes sense. I don't own anything!
Summary: Touhou has captured the hearts and souls of every inhabitant in Gakuen Alice! With Mikan the only one not playing, what's a poor girl to do? Mission time! Don't follow the masses! (Very, very, very, very small NxM, RxH)
T.K's Rant: So I was really bored and decided to write up a drabble/one-shot of Mikan. It was entertaining to think about the concept, but my mind went blank through half of it. Well, if there are any grammar problems or punctuation issues you know the drill. (Review and tell me so I can get better!)
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"You did not just pull out Touhou during class."
"I just did." -T.K.
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Following the Masses
I never understood why the boys were interested in comics and video games, but I never thought it would have been this bad. Now I'm not one to criticize or to judge one's worth based on looks, but seriously! Sure, we may be at that ripe age of 15, 16, and 17 (I myself am 16), but this is clearly breaking some type of rule in the universe!
Let me rewind for you so that you understand where I'm coming from. To start things off, I'm Mikan Sakura, age sixteen, brown hair and hazel eyes. I'm pretty average compared to the other girls my age, such as Hotaru Imai (My best friend), Permy (AKA Sumire Shouda), and the geek twins Anna and Nonoko. Well, moving on from the introductions, this is my problem and it all revolves around this one computer game known as Touhou.
Yes Touhou, as in the Touhou Project that acts like a 2-D arcade game on your desktop. Its vibrant colors and insane coding that could leave you in convulsions has finally made it off the market and into the hands of the Academy students. I remember the date well, two weeks ago, and it was Kokoroyomi who had introduced the thing.
It was trivial to us girls so we ignored it. After all what girl would play boy's games? You'd think with all the drama and romantic issues we had, we would have ignored it anyway… but one night in the middle of dinner Koko, Kitsune, Mochu and some of the other boys had set up a laptop on the table to play. At the time Anna had been handing out the food she had prepared for everyone, but when no one ate she had felt an intense jealousy to this inanimate game. I would have too if someone ignored MY cooking, so I understood where she came from.
Soon she and Nonoko confronted the boys to not play and eat the food they were given. The atmosphere was as thick as butter, easily tangible to cut through, and as I thought a huge war was about to break out... everyone went silent… There was no moment at first; Anna and Nonoko held their ground with two hands plastered on their hips, the scowls of anger creasing through forheads, but it was then that Mochu and Koko handed their controllers to the girls and told them (Anna and Nonoko) had to try the game to understand why it was so 'addicting.' After that Anna and Nonoko were never the same again. The geek sisters somehow found that game amusing and left OUR group to play it with the boys.
I sense a conspiracy here folks! Why would two UNINTERESTED girls abruptly start playing this new fad? What rational explanation could answer that? I will never know.
Then there was another case dealing with Touhou.
Permy was painting her nails when Koko and Kitsune appeared behind her with a laptop. Apparently they had decided to play a prank on her and from there you could guess what happened. She had knocked over her dark green nail polish on the clean white carpet of the class and Jin-Jin (who happened to be walking by) angrily yelled at the three to clean it up.
After much arguing between the three, the boys decided to use the game as a way to decide who would clean up the mess. Permy was skeptical at first, but once she learned the controls she beat the two of them down so hard they never played against her again. They wound up cleaning up the mess, but Permy never came back to our group. After all she had joined the "Dark Side."
The makers of that game have brainwashed the masses into doing what they want! This is a perfect scheme for them to roll in the big bucks! I swear to you!
Then there was the following incident that had me believing in my theories one hundred and ten percent. You see, I was about to turn in my math homework (thanks to Jin-Jin's punishment), and when I walked into the teacher's longue I saw the most horrifying moment of my life.
Jin-Jin was waiting for me, alright; but it was what he was doing that set me off… and that was him playing Touhou! Let me tell you folks, this is not cool! Even the teachers (even the strictest teacher of all) was being brainwashed into this stupidity known as Touhou! Will I ever understand why that game is so addicting? Never! I will NOT fall into that black abyss known as the gaming world!
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The following day I talked to Hotaru about the game and how had it begun to take roots within the school. She ignored me, like usual, and continued to skate down the path towards her lab. That is until she spotted Ruka-pyon sitting by himself playing that Touhou game. At first we stared in pure awe because Ruka had finally submitted defeat to the game… and after a couple of antagonizing seconds we decided to ask why.
At first he replied that he just wanted to try it and then from there he enjoyed playing the arcade mode and story mode so much that he decided to play it more. That was when he pulled out an extra controller and looked up at us expectantly. Surely he didn't think… oh god, yes he did. I looked at Hotaru and she looked at me. This would be the turning point of our lives, I know it… but before I could resign to my fate Hotaru accepted the controller with a heavy sigh.
She popped herself down on the grass besides the blonde-haired, blue eyed boy and studied the instructions carefully. She asked which button was which and what function did what. I stopped listening after Ruka-pyon got into making combos and grip-holds on the characters. It wasn't like I would be playing… just watching.
They began the arcade game as soon as Hotaru felt comfortable with the controller, and she decided to set up a bet. When she had said something along the lines of betting, Ruka hesitantly agreed to it, but after two minutes the game ended in Ruka's favor. The smile on his angelic face almost had me laughing, but it was when Hotaru frowned, that shut me up. Avoiding my laughing eyes, she turned to Ruka-pyon and decided to try again and this time she raised the stakes. If I remember correctly, the bets were that if Ruka-pyon won Hotaru would give up on taking pictures and selling them for profit, and if Hotaru won Ruka would buy her a year's worth of crab brains.
That seemed to motivate Hotaru, though with Ruka-pyon's last victory; I didn't see Hotaru winning against him so soon. Knowing the results before it would happen I sighed and left the two alone. If they wanted to play, that was fine with me. I'd just be by myself and play… I don't know… tag…
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Two days later Hotaru had received her first batch of crab brains. Surprisingly she had won against Ruka-pyon and continued to do so. The score between the two of them was 125 to 1. In Hotaru's favor and somehow I had the feeling that she lost on purpose to make him feel like he was better. (This indeed happened to be the case…)
Everyone was playing this Touhou game now, and even though Hotaru hung out from time to time, she still played the game with the rest of the student body for bets and money. It was insane how she set herself up, the way her small smile made you think she had NO CLUE as to what she was doing... oh, and that's when you're screwed, because you take her as an easy opponent only to wind up dead seconds later.
Like I said. It. Was. Insane.
The days passed in a blur and classes resumed its normal pattern. I was situated in the back row like I always was. Natsume (who happened to appear for class today) sat next to me, and Ruka was besides him to his right. I was on the far left side of the seat, but it just provided me an easier exit. Nowadays everyone just whipped out their consoles to play that stupid game: Touhou.
Surprisingly I had yet to see Natsume play that brainwashing game known as Touhou, but my hopes of not being the only sane one vanished when he brandished out his laptop. Our substitute froze when he saw Natsume pulling out the illegal electronic and was about to call on him to put it away before he realized that the boy was not going to listen. After six years the substitute had been on the receiving end of rebellious actions and pranks and so the substitute ignored Natsume and let him do as he pleased.
The screen flashed on and Natsume had popped in his controller to play. I, on the otherhand, gaped at how insulting the youth was to start playing HERE of all places. Since he was long accustomed to my evil glares of death, he continued dully shooting through the arcade mode and storyline.
This was it. I had it with everyone playing this game, and it's sick, brainwashing, addictive, perverted... EVERYTHING!
"You did not just pull out Touhou during class." I stated obviously, staring at Natsume's calm face. I planned to keep my composure... even if my sanity as breaking.
"I just did."
I looked at his face for a long time, the lifted part of his left cheek indicated that he was smirking at my remark but he was too transfixed with the game. Ruka, to his right, pulled out a controller and hooked his up to Natsume's laptop.
"Add me in." Ruka replied calmly with his own smile.
I didn't know it but everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at us in the back though being the oblivious one I kept my attention on the raven-haired, crimson-eyed lad right beside me. You know, I just wanted to know why everyone was so addicted to the game... why did they have to play it twenty-four seven?
The minutes dwindled on and my mind went blank. I couldn't think of anything to say to this, or anything to object either. I mean Natsume and Ruka always caused trouble in class anyways, so it wasn't like this was anything new... just this... GAME...
Feeling defeat rise within my soul I heaved a quiet sigh and turned away. I had resolved myself to learn at least SOMETHING new today in class, and not goof off like these two geniuses besides me. The substitute seemed to appreciate the gesture that I made by focusing on him. He continued on with a small smile probably thanking me for at least wanting him to get a paycheck.
That is... until Natsume nudged me with his elbow.
In distress I turned to him, the pout on my face evident as he paused the game to look into my hazel eyes. His crimson ones were lightened up for once, and it looked like he was having fun; and it was when I noticed the extra controller in his hand that had me sighing. Of course.
He wanted me to play too. Somehow in some parallel universe that might have seemed a bit romantic, but now... ehhh, not so much. Hotaru raised an eye-brow my way wondering why I was hesitating, Anna was mouthing an okay, the same with Nonoko, and Permy was looking the other direction. I was assuming she was giving me an okay to play with Natsume as well.
The pressure was strong, but I wouldn't give in... But the way he looked straight at me, the question lingering in his mind though he spoke no words, I understood well what he wanted. The teacher, who happened to see the exchange tried to grunt, tried to pry my attention off of Natsume's face with some weird mathematical problem about proportions on the board but I paid no heed.
Heaving a long sigh I accepted the controller and turned my attention to the screen.
"Hook me up."
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"Yeah! I won again!"
"...tch..."
"I didn't think Sakura-san would be good at Touhou."
"She's not good at all, it's the freaking character she's playing. Stupid Sanae."
"You're just a sore loser Natsume!"
"...Shut up. Let's go again Polka."
Yup, in the end I think I learned why Touhou was so addicting... I mean I was beating NATSUME of all people! That in itself is an accomplishment! ...Though somehow I don't think that was the reason why everyone got so hooked on the game...
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Two months later:
Attention all students:
The game known as the Touhou Project has been banned from the school grounds. If we see these games on campus we will take them (and your consoles) and you will not get them back.
-Jinno sensei
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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. I wiped the floor with Jin-Jin too! :)
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Mission: FAIL
T.K.'s: Ending Note: Hopefully you enjoyed my crazy fic; it was fun to type out especially with all the stuff going on with Touhou! xD If you guys haven't watched Bad Apple from the Touhou Project, watch it! It's really good! (Though if you watched the CNN report on it, it would make you want to gag) Just a forewarning.
Well, clickie the green link below for reviews. Thankies!
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EDITTED
Completed: September 23rd, 2010; 5:42 p.m.
